Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel (gardening, travel)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel, by Freda Cameron

WEB ADDRESS: http://definingyourhome.blogspot.com/
BLOG DESCRIPTION: I am a freelance garden and travel writer sharing my experiences, advice and color photos of my garden and my travels. My specialty is deer resistant gardening.

MY REVIEW: We're in the middle of winter here in the USA, but that doesn't mean that gardening has to stop. Depending on where you live, you can cavort outside in the sunshine, or occupy yourself with pots in your greenhouse, garage or basement.

The author of this blog writes authoritatively and well about the art of gardening. Posts on home and travel are few and far between, but really, if you're a gardener...it's the gardening tips you wnat.

Highly recommended.

Sample post:

Parlez-vous Français?
I must THINK before I speak French.
I have a grand plan to practice and learn more of the French language since France has become our annual vacation location. I have repeated this plan for the last few years, but haven't made sufficient progress.

I really need to improve my command of the language. Seriously. It's time.

With only five months until the next trip, I am setting goals to increase my vocabulary, improve my conjugation of verbs and my ability to converse. I'm also listening to many of the songs of the late Edith Piaf (La Vie En Rose fame) to make this task more enjoyable.

Languages are tedious to learn. I'm easily distracted.

My education included four years of French. Taught by a US Southern lady. Drawl and all! Not so good. Humorous, in fact. Slow and drawn-out syllables.

My pronunciation is an embarrassment when I speak, but I have found that making the effort is truly rewarding. The French appear to forgive me (and probably laugh when I leave) as long as I use these magic words:

Bonjour (madame, mademoiselle or monsieur). Always say hello.
S'il vous plait. Please.
Merci. Thank you.
Au revoir. Goodbye.

Those four years of classes were rather academic and severely lacked conversational training. I read French better than I speak it. I understand it better than I speak it. However, I cannot put answers together very quickly. I have to think about it awhile—too long!

My husband with his four years of the language, doesn't understand the spoken fast-French. But, he is very skilled at constructing sentences rather quickly.

Much to the amusement of the French—our interactions go something like this:


I order our food or ask a question in my pre-planned French.
I mostly understand the French reply.
I translate to my husband in English.
He answers in French.

This causes some confusion about our American culture or maybe our marriage. It seems that, as a woman, I must not be allowed to reply! Honestly, my husband is not a male chauvinist at all.

Separately, we cannot function with the language. Together, we are one! C'est lui pour moi. Moi pour lui. (He's for me. I'm for him.)

RECENT POSTS:
--Time to Sow Fall Seeds for Spring Flowers
--Parlez-vous Français?
--Pink and Purple Prevail
--Geranium 'Rozanne' Update
--Blogging Friends

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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Metroblogging New Orleans (travel)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: MetroBlogging New Orleans, by Bode Media

WEB ADDRESS: http://neworleans.metblogs.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Written from the perspective of people who live, work, and play here every day, Metroblogging New Orleans is one of over forty-five (and growing) blogs in the globe-spanning Metroblogging network. Get comfortable and have a look around if you'd like to know more about New Orleans, and have a peek at the authors who share their New Orleans experiences with you.

MY REVIEW: An interesting blog. Unfortunately, it seems to be updated once a week or once every 10 days only, but then, that's the joy of having a subscription via Kindle, you don't have to worry about checking the blog every day, because it'll be sent to you when it's finally updated.

If you're interested in how the city is holding up 5 years after Katrina, and now how they're doing thanks to the BP oil leak (and let us not forget, as they seem to do, that the US goverment is the one dispersing claims money, not BP) you'll find this an interesting blog.

Sample post:

Five Years After Katrina, Five Lessons Learned
by richard August 29th, 2010 @ 5:45 PM Uncategorized
When things were still in chaos; when the streets of Lakeview and the Lower Ninth were drier but not dry; when all we knew about our city came from fifth-hand reports of neighbors who’d stayed or first-hand reports by journalists who’d just arrived; when no one was in charge, right before everyone was in charge: then they broke the news. And the news was this: things won’t be normal in New Orleans, not for a while. Five years, maybe ten.

“Five years?” some gasped as they shoved soggy remembrances into cars and U-Hauls, rushing to move on with their lives. “Five years?” others shrugged, happy to have something to look forward to, an endpoint, no matter how elusive. The thought of half a decade became a dividing line: the patient and the rooted dug in, while the overwhelmed, the anxious, and the helpless surrendered to the fact that their migration was permanent.

As it turns out, five years hasn’t been enough time for recovery, except in places where it has. In certain parts of the city — some rich, some poor — life resumed its usual pace within a few months. In other areas — some poor, some rich — people still check the mail with crossed fingers, hoping for insurance settlements so they can rebuild what the floodwaters spared. But for a tragedy this broad, this pervasive, this everywhereyoulook, there is no normal, only “normal”. It is the same as before, but different: a life made special because we’ve come through it with scars of varying size and shape.

Some would like to go back, to inhabit that pre-Katrina world that was always a gamble anyway, but most of those people live elsewhere now — theoretically safer places like Atlantadallasnashville. Many others, myself included, refuse to budge. Us, we look to our unofficial patron saint, Lafcadio Hearn, who crafted our unofficial novena 130+ years ago:

Times are not good here. The city is crumbling into ashes. It has been buried under a lava flood of taxes and frauds and maladministrations so that it has become only a study for archaeologists. …But it is better to live here in sackcloth and ashes, than to own the whole state of Ohio. (1879)

With all due respect to the good people of Ohio, of course.

We have learned so much in these five years, so much that we can share with others affected by calamity, so much that those from other places — Kobe, Istanbul, Amsterdam — once tried to share with us, only we couldn’t hear them. We can’t be guaranteed that anyone will listen to us either, but we’re obligated to write.

And so: some not-so-simple rules for surviving disaster.

1. EXPECT THE WORST

This is the easy one. Anyone can see superficial havoc after it’s been wreaked by earth, wind, air, or fire. Anyone can grasp the complicated baby steps of rebuilding infrastructure. Roads, homes, doorways: all means of communication are fragile, and there’s no guarantee that you and your neighbors will be at the top of the government’s priority list. Your electricity and drinking water could be restored in three weeks or maybe four, but don’t bank on it.

And it gets worse: the warrens of bureaucracy. Permits, grants, insurance claims, and lawsuits all take time and paperwork. You will be told five different things by six different people. There will be a surge of information and a void of it, all at once. If you’ve ever been to the DMV, you’ve seen the tip of the iceberg (which is itself another potent symbol of things gone terribly, terribly wrong).

Your response: patience and more patience. And watch what you eat. Lots of us still carry ten extra pounds thanks to stress-snacking.

2. EXPECT WORSE THAN THE WORST

After the obvious problems come things you hadn’t expected. Depending on the tragedy, you may have already lost loved ones. But beyond that — yes, there is a beyond that — you will lose even more. You will lose friends and family who cannot be there, cannot walk the same streets, the same hallways, the same gardens they did before, because they don’t have the time, will, energy, or means. They will leave, and you will have to navigate a new, unfamiliar landscape with fewer shoulders at arm’s reach.

As they shuffle off, other tragedies will befall you. Bills, unseen physical damage, crime: the world will be a closet of boogeymen, and some will escape, even in broad daylight.

Your response: grief and slow acceptance. And a lot more patience.

3. EXPECT LITTLE FROM YOUR LEADERS

There will be many, many people vying for a turn at the podium. Far more will stand behind them, one eye on their fearless leader, the other checking the TV monitor to gauge how much screen real estate they’re getting. There will be a lot of talk and some action.

There are exceptions to this rule, but they aren’t common. Rudolph Guiliani comes to mind. He wasn’t perfect, but he did what leaders must do, what they are meant to do, especially in the face of disaster: he was compelling. He was a figurehead. He was a champion, around which the people of New York — the nation, the world — rallied. Maybe the extraordinary circumstances of September 11, 2001 made Mr. Guiliani stand out, excel. But then, every disaster is extraordinary to the people who live through it.

Your response: organize, communicate with neighbors, and make yourself be heard. Shout, but shout in chorus.

4. EXPECT CRITICISM AND INTERLOPERS


Some — mostly those living far away, mostly those who go to sleep with full stomachs in warm beds, who have never known another life — some of those people will attack you. They will accuse you of expecting handouts and of expecting others to come to your rescue. They will ridicule you for being lazy, for not being prepared, for playing with fire. This is especially true in America, where Calvin and his work ethic still work hard, except on the Sabbath.

They will blame the victim: “You live on a fault line, what did you expect?” Which is, in fact, the same as asking, “Your skirt was too short, what did you expect?” But humans aren’t always prudent or rational, and that’s partly what makes us human. What’s more, and what these people forget, is that no place is truly safe apart from a presidential army bunker. And would even the president want to live there?

There will also be interlopers, people who come to help. Most will have their heart in exactly the right spot, but some will tell you that you’ve been doing it wrong all along and their way is better. Which is one letter away from bitter.

Your response: hold your head high, ignore the critics as long as you can. Accept help from those who offer it. Listen to those who offer advice. Then put your head down and do the work you have to do.

5. EXPECT THE BEST OF YOUR NEIGHBORS

Or maybe don’t “expect”. But don’t be surprised when it happens. Those next door will step up to the plate and organize. Those across the country will offer comfort and support. They will fill the gap left by the boutonniered politicians at the podium and mend the wounds caused by detractors.

Some of you may not believe me. And that’s fine, be pessimistic if you like. But here’s the thing, the Very Big Thing: humans are social, and when there’s a rip in the social fabric, we tend to get out the needle and thread. Laugh all you want at that terrible metaphor, but what’s underneath it is true.

Your response: live up to your end of the bargain.

RECENT POSTS:
--Happy Hurricane High-Point, Y’all
--Five Years After Katrina, Five Lessons Learned
--A Guest Post From The CitizenGlobal Outreach Team
--Guest Post from ProPublica About The BP Claims Process
--This Month In New Orleans Culture: Theater, Vetiver, And The World Air Sex Championship

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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Mr. Smith Goes to Kathmandu (lifestyle & culture, travel)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Mr. Smith Goes to Kathmandu, by Brian Smith

WEB ADDRESS: http://smith-kathmandu.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Trials and tribulations experienced by an American couple who sold everything, quit their jobs and moved to Kathmandu, Nepal. Learning how to be a foreigner in a new land and looking for good food, good friends and great adventures. Experience the weird and wonderful differences that make life so full!

MY REVIEW: I thoroughly enjoyed this blog. Learning about everyday life in Kathmandu and surrounding areas is fascinating. Author Brian Smtih writes well and has a real feel for place and description.

Illustrated with lots of photos, that lose a little bit in the greyscale translation, but do give enough of the flavor of the photo's subject.

Highly recommended.

Sample post:

Giving the Palace The Run Around
Now as I stated recently, I'm the only person I usually see running in the streets of Kathmandu. During a conversation with some expats while we were in Bhaktapur observing the Gaijatra festival the topic of exercise came up and someone mentioned "It's not like you can go running in Kathmandu". Well you can, I do. Kind of. It's a little more like an obstacle course, and in some ways it makes things more interesting. Some times though you just want to run and not deal with all of the traffic and people and cows or whatever might get in your way.

As I've mentioned, the only place I see people running jogging most of the time is around the palace. The house owner of my apartment also recommended it to me as a place to go running. So the other day I didn't get a chance to go out until sometime around 5PM. I really wanted to go running, but the traffic out by the ring road on the way to Boudha would be terrible during this part of the day, so I took the opportunity to try out the route around the palace. I gave it two laps plus the distance from and back to the apartment.
[Not reproduced in this review]
Map showing the route around the palace, almost exactly 1.6 miles.

The palace route has some real advantages going for it. First there are sidewalks around the whole thing, and in most places you can actually use them. In some places they are full of people, like near the east gate and over by the foreign ministry on the west side, but other than those two spots you don't have to run in the road. Because really no vehicles go in or out of the palace area for the most part, you don't spend too much time dodging cars or getting stuck in traffic. Another bonus is that the trees and bamboo that line the walls provide some decent shade from the sun. With many of the normal obstacles removed from my path I was able to keep a fairly consistent pace. Also the mile and a half loop that isn't far from home allows for a nice variable run depending on how I feel, and if I pull a muscle or something it isn't a long walk back to the apartment.

So with all of those advantages, you'd think this would be my new route, but I think I'm gonna stick to the Boudha route. The main reason is that the air quality around the palace is terrible. Sure I cross the ring road on my way out to Boudha, but for the most part the air isn't all that terrible on my way out there. Around the palace I felt like I was constantly sucking exhaust. Narayanhiti Path and Kanti path are especially bad. The sidewalks that are concrete are fine, bu the brick ones, though even enough for walking are a bit tough when running, during these segments I usually shifted to running on the side of the road. While the trees and bamboo provide shade, they also provide homes for birds and fruit bats, and thus when running under the trees on Kanti Path especially, not only do you have to dodge poo from the sky, but you have to inhale the smell of the poo on the sidewalk.

While the sidewalks are nice, young Nepalis seem to like to take up as much space on a sidewalk as they can. I don't think it's done on purpose, but it's common to see four people spread out perfectly to take up the entire length of the sidewalk, and thus you end up jumping off and back on to the sidewalk. The sidewalk near the foreign ministry is always full of Nepali people waiting to get a passport. The quantity of people there is always really high, and due to this the number of people already walking in the street is already high, thus you end up dodging people and oncoming traffic through this section. Also there is very little difference in elevation over this route, just a few places with some minor variation giving some gradual up hill and down hill segments. On my route out to Boudha I get a couple of really good hills in each direction, so I get some good practice on both up and down hill running.

All in all maybe not a bad place for an early morning run before the traffic gets going. I'm sure I'll use the route from time to time, but all in all not too impressed. If I want to do some distance running once in a while it might not be a bad option if I got up in the morning and did like five laps or something. Running long distances otherwise gets me too far from Kathmandu, and I'd hate to strain my calve way out by Sundarijal or something.

RECENT POSTS:
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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
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In Vera Cruz (local travel, Mexico)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: In Vera Cruz, by Leah Flinn

WEB ADDRESS: http://inveracruz.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: See life through the lens of a young American woman in Veracruz, Mexico, where she and her Mexican husband have lived since January of 2009. Thoughts and stories about navigating through the Mexican culture and learning the Spanish language are insightful and thought-provoking. The author perceives the world around her with an ever-evolving consciousness of cultural comprehension and a spirit of adventure.

MY REVIEW: This is an enjoyable blog, and interesting as well. You learn a lot about other cultures - specifically Mexico and central America, by reading this. Author writes well and is interesting.

Recommended.

Sample post

No Seas Chismosa
My husband and I speak both English and Spanish - he possesses greater fluency in English than I in Spanish, but I believe I am closing the gap.

In our home it's typical for us to begin a sentence in one language and switch intermittently. This is normal conversation for us:

Me: Did you get a chance to hablar con el mecanico?
Husband: Sí, ya hablé con él.

Me: ¿Y cómo te fue?
Husand: Me dijo que hay un oyito in the fuel line and he'll fix it tomorrow pero tenemos que comprar la refacción tonight before it gets too late.

Me: ¿Y cuánto te cobrará?
Husband: He said it'll cost between 400-450 pesos and he'll have it ready en la tarde mañana. ¿Cómo vez?

Me: Sí, esta bien. Glad I didn't go with you or he might have given you la gringa price.
Husband: Así es.
*Both chuckle*

This is quintessential verbal exchange between me and my Mexican husband. Our own hybrid of Anglo-Latino linguistics. Another reflection of our bi-racial, bi-cultural lives, which we find exciting.

The problem is when others are within earshot of us. Mexicans, including all of Saul's family can only follow the Spanish half and my family, the English half.

While most of the family ignores us or finds it entertaining to try and understand, it drives my suegra (mother-in-law) crazy.

Self-described as chismosa (a gossip), she can only handle a couple of these hybrid phrases before an outburst of "Why don't you speak Spanish?! She understands and then we all can understand!", in Spanish of course.

My husband finds this hilarious and never passes up the opportunity to fire back a tongue-in-cheek, "No seas tan chismosa!", (Don't be so nosy!) which makes everyone laugh.

It's not only my mother-in-law that seems perturbed. We've received plenty of stares in public while speaking this way.

All people are curious, but most Mexicans here are particularly poor at hiding their nosiness. They can burn a hole in your head with that fixated stare of intrusion.

I'm used to this, but sometimes I imagine it humorous if my husband would sic a "No seas chismosa!" on them.

RECENT POSTS:
--mexican coke la coca mexicana
--lizard walk
--new month new rule
--no seas chismosa
--noisy children repellent
--hot dog new ham
--come little closer
--three strikes for mexican business
--my bags are packed im ready-to-go
--nothing to cry about

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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Yegor Korzh :: Travel Photography (Arts and entertainment)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Yegor Korzh :: Travel Photography , by Yegor Korzh

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.yktravelphoto.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Landscape and nature photography. Images, travel tips and much more.

MY REVIEW: Yegor Korzh takes photos of sites in Australia. He's a professional photographer, which means that his photos look beautiful in the black and white of the Kindle as they do in color on his actual blog. (Not quite as beautiful, though. You really need to see these photos in color. The colors are gorgeous.)

Anyway, I do recommend this blog. With reservations, though, because most of his posts are a single photograph. Only once in a while does he give travel or photography tips. I wish that he'd explain his exact reasoning for each photo he posts - how he framed it, what he was trying to accomplish, speed and various settings of his camera, etc., but he doesn't go that deeply into things.

Nevertheless, check it out.

RECENT POSTS:
--Oaklands Falls, Hazelbrook
--Pease do not feed kea!
--Free Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: August 2010 – Victoria Range Slopes
--Moeraki Boulders
--The Walls Of China Lunette, Lake Mungo


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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Barbados Caribbean Travel (travel)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Barbados Caribbean Travel

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.barbadoscaribbeantravel.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Blogging about travel and lifestyle in Barbados and the Caribbean

MY REVIEW: If you're planning on visiting Barbados, this is a must read blog for you. You can learn all about things you need to know. For example, from August 2010 you'll no longer be able to smoke in public places - bars, restaurants, etc. The blog author seemed pretty happy about that. (For myself, if people want to smoke, it's their bloody right! But first it's public places, then it's your own car, then it's your own home.)

Anyway, any plans on going to Barbados, this is an excellent blog for you.

Sample post

The Barbados returning nationals programme is to be significantly changed in 2010. The age restriction for bringing your goods in duty free has been lifted; before it stood at age 50 to receive the full benefits, like bringing in your own car.

This will allow younger Barbadians to bring their entrepreneurial skills home much earlier, rather than waiting until retirement age when the skills may be unused.

Also, the returning nationals programme will now be known as the Barbados Network Programme to reflect its changes.

To quote the government:

‘A Barbadian national who is a citizen by birth, descent, registration or naturalisation will qualify for the programme once he was continuously resident abroad for ten years immediately prior to resettlement,’

This ten year rule hasn’t changed.

The Acting Prime Minister said that the necessity that a Barbadian by descent or marriage must have resided at least 183 days in Barbados prior to emigrating in order to be eligible under the programme, would be removed.

He also said ‘the qualifying period for annual Barbados Network Renewal status under the programme would however be increased from three to five years, to help reduce the incidence of abuse, especially in respect of the motor vehicle concessions.’ This means that to those bringing in a car duty free, you now have to keep it for five years before you can sell it to maintain its duty free status.
It would also appear that the longwinded administration connected with returning nationals and the duty free concessions, will be made much easier to complete. This should also make the process much shorter.

The changes will allow the Comptroller of Customs to ‘Grant automatic exemptions from the payment of import duties and taxes to those returnees whose eligibility has been appropriately certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.’

RECENT POSTS:
--Barbadians moving back home
--No Smoking Barbados
--Planning For Outdoor Events In Barbados
--Barbados Attractions – Harrison’s Cave
--Canadaian cricket in the Caribbean?

_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Bicycle Touring Pro (Bicycling, Travel)

REVIEWED BY: Ms Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Bicycle Touring Pro, by Darren Alff

WEB ADDRESS: http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: BicycleTouringPro.com is a website aimed at those interested in bicycle touring and long distance travel.

Here you will find:

- A repository of useful articles for bicycle travelers. The articles are aimed to help you with all aspects of planning, preparing for and executing a short or long distance bicycle tour.

- A collection of audio recordings about long distance travel. You can listen to the recordings at any time through your computer speakers.

- Fresh content is added regularly. New content includes audio interviews with bicycle tourists and long distance travelers, how-to instructional articles and videos, as well as news and information from the world of bicycle travel.

MY REVIEW: Readers really get the trifecta with this blog - bicycling tips, bicycling gear and travel info.

The articles are well written, informative, and illustrated with photos. You get no-holds-barred reviews of new cycling gear, as well as reviews of travel destinations.

I enjoyed this blog a lot, every serious bicyclist will.

RECENT POSTS:
Kindle Readers – Get Free Lodging For Your Travels
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The Hybrid Backpack is a product designed to help you carry odd-sized items on your...

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The tiny village of Arrow Rock is located 13 miles north of I-70 on Hwy 41 in Saline...


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Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Three travel blogs (retro) - time to explore the USA!

1. South Carolina
2. Hawaii
3. New York

1. MY LIFE A BIT SOUTH OF NORMAL

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo


MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: My Life a Bit SOuth of Normal

WEB ADDRESS: www.abitsouthofnormal.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Every once in awhile I stop and ask myself, "I don't think everyone lives this way." In fact, "I don't think anyone else lives this way." I have an ordinary existence with an insane extraordinary cast of characters. When I think about it, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Yes, folks it's all true, and it could only happen in the south.

MY REVIEW: The author of the blog, who updates it every couple of days, is a 50-year old southerner who lives in the Deep South. I believe this means, South Carolina. (I’m from Minnesota, for all that I currently live in Virginia.) Most regions of the US (or indeed, of any country) have different traditions, menus and so on, as does every generation. (I’ve read about collards in books, for example, but I’ve never felt the need to dine on them. Sufficient to know that in the Deep South they are still a traditional dish!)

If you’re interested in people, you’ll enjoy these entertaining and amusing, and culturally-instructive anecdotes.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• The Dollar Store
• I Don't Fry Chicken
• Pet Names
• Pass the green beans and the pot, please.
• Starving Children in China

2. HAWAII VACATION BLOG

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Hawaii Vacation Blog

WEB ADDRESS: www.blogcatalog.com/blog/explore-hawaii

BLOG DESCRIPTION: An adventure blog to guide you to all the hotspots on the islands of Hawaii. Hop onboard and follow the tracks of the Trailblazer Travel Book authors.

OUR REVIEW: Ah, how I’d love to be in Hawaii right now. It’s not in the cards however, so the Hawaii Vacation Blog is a nice substitute. It’s written by people who actually live in and have traveled throughout all the Hawaiian islands. (Just as a point of interest, the Big Island of Hawaii is not actually the one people think about when they think of Hawaii, that’d be Oahu, on which is located Honolulu. Just in case you don't know that!)

RECENT ARTICLES:

• Staying on Oahu
• Guide Me (uninformative title for an entry about the Big Island
• The Once and Present Place to Be – Mauna Lani Resort
• Lyon Arboretum – it’s grrreeat!
• Some enchanted evening article on the Fairmont Orchid Hotel

3. FULLY BOOKED (NEW YORK)

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Fully Booked

WEB ADDRESS: www.fullybooked.biz

BLOG'S DESCRIPTION: Events with an edge! In New York. Parties, press events, launches, shopping events and more! Trends in the party scene. And lifestyle tips. For those who are not invited. Get invited for free!

MY REVIEW: Bored in New York? No idea what to do? Where to go. . . here's your answer. This blog gives a daily post with a description of the event, the location, the time, and any other relevant information, often including a picture. Frequently web sites are listed and, although you cannot access them from the Kindle, you do have them for later reference. The events are interesting and run the gamut from the Fancy Food Show, a book signing at Williams Sonoma, Food & Wine from North Carolina, gallery openings, and happenings at Whole Foods just to name a few.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• Wedding Salon and Dylans Candy Bar
• Pistachio Hot Chocolate
• Back Stage at New York's Fashion Week - Designer's Andy and Deb
• Beard on Books